Bezel-wound timepiece.



Plumes o'rro DORER, or Lennon, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR 'ro S. SMITH & SONS (MOTO ACCESSORIES) LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,.PRIMUS Orro Donna, British subject, residing at London, England, have inventedcertainj new. and useful Improvements in Bezel-Wound, Timepieces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is for improvements. in or relating to bezel-wound time-pieces of the type wherein the winding-mechanism connecting the bezel to the spring is situated at the front of the movement.

It hasbeen previously proposed to provide time-pieces with the ordinary rockinglever' winding-mechanism, such as is employed in a watch for winding and setting the hands, situated .behind the dial at the front of the movement. and geared to the bezel by means of an internally toothed ring carried on the bezel. This mechanism'involves aconsiderable number of parts and the object of the present invention is to pro-- vide a more simple arrangement although still having the mechanism situated between the dial and the movement; According toythis invention, the movement carries a central hollow and forwardly-projecting stationary pillar. The main spring surrounds this in front of the movement and has its inner end attached to a driving wheel mounted on the pillar. and its outer end to apart, for example a barrel, movable with r the bezel and controlled by a one-way clutch.

The invention comprises also certain subordinate features which will be referred to in the course of the description of the ace hompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a vertical central section of one construction of bezel-wound clock according to the present invention, and

Fig. 2 is a .similar view of an alternative construction thereof.

Dealing first with the. construction illustrated in Fig; l, the. movement frame, which comprises thefront plate M the back plate M and the pillars Q, carries the movement between the two plates M and M The front plate M supports a central hollow and forwardly projecting stationary pillar P se- Specificationof Letters Patent. Patented Application filed November 23, 1917. vSerial No. 203,613.

ZBEZEL-WQUND ITIMEPIECE.

cured to it by .a nut N. The main-spring MS surrounds this pillar in front of the movement, and the inner end 2' of the mainspring is attached to a driving-wheel W mounted on thepillar, and'it-s outer end to a barrel B, movable with the bezel Z. The rotation of thisbezel is controlled by a one way clutch which may be of any'usual or well-known type. In the construction illustrated, this clutch comprises a pawl A, which is mounted on the plate M and engages with ratchet teeth B, formed on the barrel B. The inclosing member for the spring, that is to say the barrel B, is mounted to rotate freely around the central pillar P between the front plate M of the movement and the stationary dial D, and in the drawing the bezel is shown as connected direct to the barrel. The lower edge of the barrel bears upon a flange F on thefront. plate M There is a cover-plate CP at the front or top end of the barrel B over the spring. The central portion of this cover-plate is flanged at C1 and encircles the upper end of the pillar P, so that the cover-plate thus constitutes both a cover for the barrel B and a support for the forward end of it. The movement, of which the plates M and 2 are the front and back plates respec-. tively, can be secured in any convenient mannerito the bottom of an outer casing C throughthe face of which the upper end of the barrel B extends to meet the bezel Z. The casing is closed in at the front by the bezel containing the usual front glass FG.

The bezel Z forms a shoulder which bears upon the exterior of the casing C and serves to steady the whole construction. The attachment of the bezel to the barrel may be effected in any convenient manner.

The spring does not fill the whole depth of the barrel, but a false bottom FB is provided as a shield for preventing the main spring fouling the gear wheel IV and the pinion S meshing therewith. This false bottom has the form of a plate supported at the center by a flange W on the driving wheel The said plate is further supported by feet such as F13 extended clownward'from it to bear on the front late of the movement. The driving wheel W is tom or shield FB, that is to say between the false'bottom FE and the front plate M of the movement.

Th winding. of the spring is effected by turning the bezel Z and thus the exterior wall of the spring-barrel B, and to prevent return movement of the barrel, any convenient one-way clutch mechanism may be used; for example teeth might be formed on the exterior of the-barrel or on a part secured thereto, and apawl couldbe mounted on the front plate of the movement to cooperate therewith. Or, alternatively, the exterior of thebarrel' could be surrounded by a spiral of wire having-one end fixed relatively tothe movement and the other end free, so that the barrel can h turnedfreely in one direction to loosen the splral, but cannot be turned in the reverse direction.

' Such one-way clutches are in themselves wellknown and do not per se constitute-any part of the present invention. 7

The wind'ng parts are all kept in place by the flange P on the forward end of ;the central pillar P, whichfiange serves to re ceive the dial 'D already mentioned as secured to it. V

The motion-work for the hands may be mounted between the plates M M ,-and a set-hand spindle SH can extend, as shown, from the front of the outer casingiCto a point near one of the wheels of the motionwork. This spindle extends out from the casing to a point beyond the bezel and does not interfere with the rotation of the same; it has a telescopic movement, and a spring detent SD is provided to hold it at either limit of its endwise movement in a manner well understood. The bottom of th spindle carries a toothed wheel sh, and when the spindle is in the lower of its extreme positions this wheel engages with the motionwork; in the other extreme position 'it is free from the'motion-workp In the modification illustrated in Fig. 2

the barrel B has a radial flange RF'upon it received between a stationary ring R fixed to the interior of the casing C, and a removable stationary ring SR likewise fixed to the casing. The cover-plate GP of the barrel is fixed to it and has attached to its upturned outer rim UP the bezel Z. I

The movement is kept in place against vertical shift in relation to the casing C by the two rings R and SR and against rotation by a plate PL fixed inside the bottom of the casing and engaging by means of pins p which enter holes M in the bottom plate M of the movement. 7

What I claim as my invention and desire V V to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a ,time-piece having the winding mechanism located in' front of the movement, the combination of the movement frame, a "central hollow forwardly proj ect ing pillar fixedly carried on the front plate thereof, a gear wheel for actuating the movement rotatably mounted on the pillar, a main spring surrounding th -pillar and having one end attached to the gear wheel,

I an inclosing-member surrounding the main spring and connected to the other end thereof, the inclosing memberbeing rotatable relatively to the movement frame in only one direction, and "a bezel mounted on the front of the inclosing member'for winding the main spring, substantially as described.

2. In a time piece. having the winding mechanism located in front of the movement, the combination, with the movement frame, of a centralhollow forwardly projecting pillar having a flange at the front end thereof and fixedlyicarried on the front plate of the movement frame, a gear wheel for I actuating the movement rotatably mounted on the pillar, a maimspring surrounding the pillar and attached'by one nd to the gear wheel, a'barrel comprising an inclosing memberand .a cover-plate therefor, the inclosing member surrounding the main spring 'andbeing connected to the other end thereof, and the cover plate being supported at the flange on the pillar and by the inclosing member, the barrel being rotatable about the movement frame in only one direction, and a bezel secured to the front of the barrel for winding the main spring. a

3. In a time-piece having the winding mechanism located in front of the movement, the combination with the movement frame, of a central hollow forwardly projecting pillar mounted thereon, a gear wheel for actuating the movement rotatably mounted on .the pillar, a main spring. surrounding the pillar and having one end at tached to the gear wheel, a barrel surrounding the main spring and connected to the other end thereof, and rotatable aboutfthe movement frame in only :one direction, said barrel having a false bottom dividing the sam into two chambers, one chamber'containing the main spring and the other the teeth of the gear wheel, and'a bezel mounted on the barrel for winding the main" spring.

.4. In a time piece having the winding mechanism located in front of the 'movement, the combination with the casing of a barrel having a radial flange rotatably and removably mounted therein, a movement frame comprising a plate closing the rear end of the barrel, a central hollow forwardly-projecting pillar fixed on said plate and j ournaled in the front end of the barrel, a gear Wheel for actuating the movement rotatably mounted on the pillar,'a main spring surrounding the pillar and having one end attached to the gear wheel and the other attached to the barrel, pins fixed on the casing and taking into the movement frame for preventing the same rotating, the barrel being rotatable relatively to the movement fram in only one direction and having a forwardly projecting rim, and a bezel secured to the rim for Winding the main spring, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

PRIMUS OTTO DORER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

